Woods Between Worlds
by Mia X
Summary: Olivia is in the woods. She's stuck in between her own world and the fairy tale one. She may be the first to find the school even though she wasn't chosen. Event though she's a year too old to go there. Even though she's in the woods. Excuse the horrible summary. Give the story a go and please review whether you want to compliment it or criticize it.
1. Chapter 1

Olivia knew she wasn't going to be taken. She was a year too old, so she was safe. Anne wasn't, though. She was too young. By exactly a day. Tomorrow-if she was still here- Olivia's younger sister would celebrate another birthday with her family. Despite being a day too young, Anne muddied up her face and messed up her hair. She played in the mud and poked people with sticks. She was afraid of being taken. But there was hope, right? If Agatha and Sophie got back she could too, right? No. Agatha and Sophie hadn't been seen since last year, when Agatha appeared with some boy. Then left. Again. So no, there probably was no hope of Anne returning if she was to be taken. Olivia told her otherwise that night, though.

"If you get taken, against all odds, I promise I will find you. I'll grab the shadow and make him take me with you. And I promise, we'll find our way back, as long as we're together. I'll go through the woods, if I have to."

Anne just shrugged. "Libby is probably going to get taken for Good. I don't think I have anything to worry about."

Olivia stayed silent, following the rule, _if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it._ But even though she didn't utter a word, she still thought about it. No way was Libby going to be taken. She seemed Good enough, but she was going anywhere for one simple reason: she wanted to go to the School for Good and Evil. Anne didn't.

Libby was Beth's younger sister and was definitely well brought up, but ever since Sophie and Agatha's return she had danced around in pink glass high heels like Sophie and wore pink dresses and spent her days doing good deeds and trying to impress the School Master. But to Anne it just came naturally. She didn't have to sing, or wear pink heels and dresses. She wasn't doing anything to impress the School Master. Everything she did, she did because she wanted to do it.

After a while, Anne's eyelids drooped and she slumped against the wall, her long blond hair already frizzy in the back. Olivia didn't know how she managed to sleep. But eventually she too became so exhausted that she had to rest.

Olivia and Anne both woke to singing. Libby. Olivia pulled back the curtains and looked out the window. Sure enough, Libby was singing….in a shadow's arms. The villagers were trying to make a ring around the village to trap the shadow and Libby. But the shadow wasn't done yet. It-whatever it was-stopped at the badly-behaved Hunter's house and walked out with Libby and the boy in it's hands.

Phew! They were safe! The shadow left, and Olivia knew that despite the villagers' attempts, Libby and Hunter would be taken. But not Anne. Not her younger sister.

Anne looked relieved. "I told you it would be Libby." Then she went back to sleep.

In the morning, Olivia got up extra early and made a cake with the richest chocolate she could find and stuck in all the candles, lighting them one by one. She was giddy with excitement. She skipped upstairs and woke Anne up with a huge grin on her face. Anne at first was annoyed at being woken up, then her annoyance turned into surprise. "Oh, Olivia! You shouldn't have!"

"What are you talking about? It's your birthday!"

Anne laughed. "Just don't sing. It's embarrassing."

They spent the whole day dancing, playing, singing and laughing. The two girls went to bed with bright smiles and full tummies. "I'm so happy we're all safe," Olivia whispers.

"Me too."

They both drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

Olivia woke, startled to a tapping at the window. She slowly pulled the curtains back with trembling fingers. There, impossibly, was the shadow. No eyes, no mouth, yet somehow Olivia could tell it was smiling.

She jumped back and forgot to close the curtains. "Anne!" she whispered urgently. "Anne, get up! It's the-" _CREAK!_

The window was open. Anne jerked awake. "What's wro-" and black hand covered her mouth and muffled her scream.

"Anne!" Olivia slung her arm over the shadow's shoulder and it lunged towards the window...with _both_ girls.

Olivia was very light and the shadow hadn't seemed to notice her yet. She'd just have to hope it lasted.

The shadow crawled into another house through another window and grabbed yet another child- Gracelinda. For Evil, no doubt. Olivia frantically showed her to stay quiet about her presence but realized the stupid girl was still asleep. Thank the heavens.

That night, three girls from Gavaldon were kidnapped by a shadow and carried through the woods.


	2. The Forest

Anne didn't scream. Or kick. Or fight. She was limp in the School Master's arms. She was still in shock that any of this was happening. He had come _yesterday_! They were supposed to be safe! She was counting on Olivia to keep her , who happened to be holding on to the shadow and _getting away with it._ Still carrying three girls, the shadow-School Master-came across a giant fallen tree. With almost no effort, he leaped over it and kept going. Olivia almost fell off the shadow and grunted as she pulled herself up and tried to be weightless at the same time. Gracelina's bloodshot eyes opened in a flash- _Oh, now you wake up, yet this whole time you stayed asleep. One grunt? You were kidnapped and didn't even stir!_ Olivia panicked. "I'm going to save you. Just pretend I'm not here." she whispered as quietly as she could. The shadow stopped suddenly and an evil grin crept up Gracelina's realized her mistake too late. Just like Libby, Gracelina didn't want to be saved. She had wanted to be taken the whole time.

"Hey," she grouched. "Get off. You won't come any further. You don't belong where we're being taken." The shadow finally heard something and flung Olivia off it's back. Anne's big brown eyes filled with panic and she screamed. She punched, she kicked, she slapped and bit and started fighting. She even managed to crawl away once, but never got anywhere near her sister, who was suspended in the air above a black, gnarled tree. Her short, choppy brown hair danced around her face even though there was no wind. Her mouth was hung open, her eyes were a dull gray-including her pupils. Her skin was sickly pale green.

The shadow walked away, leaving Olivia in the air, with one girl cackling and the other screaming. Olivia didn't hear either of them.

When all three of them- the shadow, Gracelina and Anne-were too far for her to follow, Olivia was dropped into the tree. Her eyes returned to their normal color-sea green with flecks of gray and blue and _black_ pupils. Her hair fell neatly over her ears and stopped just below her shoulders. Her skin got back it's tan color and she heaved in a deep breath. Then she panicked. She was alone in the woods. She didn't know where Anne was- Anne! Oh, no, no, no, no! This was very, very bad. How was she going to find the school now?

She tried to sit up properly -she was lying down on a not-very-stable-looking branch-but the back of her shirt was stuck, snagged on a tree branch. Olivia grabbed her shirt, gritted her teeth, and pulled. The cloth ripped and half of the back of her shirt was now gone, still caught in the tree. She sighed and started to climb down.

When she finally got to the bottom, Olivia found that the shadow hadn't bothered to step carefully. She would easily be able to follow its tracks.

She took one step, a twig snapped, and she winced, then froze, counted to ten. Exhaled as quietly as she could. Stepped again. Heard a hiss, froze. "One...Two...Three...Four...Fi-ahh!"

A hideous snake had appeared in front of her.

It's scales were pointed threateningly upwards towards her. It was so long that she couldn't quite tell, but to Olivia, it looked like it's tale disappeared into the grass. It's eyes were the color of swamp water and it's pupils were so small and thin they almost weren't there. It opened it's mouth to show off four large pale green fangs. Horrified, Olivia watches as next to the fangs something was slowly creeping out into display. Soon the snake had a mouth of teeth like rose thorns.

Without warning, it leapt up at her, fangs open wide and aimed for her face.

She closed her eyes and felt something jerk her backwards. She fell flat on her back and watched the snake sail harmlessly over her head. Breathless, she tried to sit up, but then she found vines binding her to the grass.

More and more vines came into view and started slithering towards her. They were thick and black. Rotten looking, but with roses and daisies here and there. No thorns, no fangs. Flowers. They crawled up until you could only see her face. Panicked, Olivia started wriggling around, trying to break free, but the vines only squeezed tighter.

Suddenly she heard a voice coming from a bluebird in the trees.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," it said in a calming, chipper voice.

Olivia gasped for air, but couldn't relieve her lungs.

"Too….tight," she wheezed, hoping the bird would help her. Then it became too much and she blacked out.


End file.
